About UsThe Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC) is a research and training organization specializing in development, missiology and cross-cultural studies aimed at social transformation within the Asian context.
ISACC has an International Board of Reference, a local governing Board and a corporate membership that serves as its community of accountability. It has a resource pool of about 40 Fellows and friends from academic, cultural and social development circles here and abroad who provide cross-cultural inputs, theological and social science expertise, and spiritual guidance into its work. |
Who We Are |
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Core values and beliefs
Our vision is to see the gospel of Christ so rooted in Asian cultures that they are engaged by its values and empowered to become societies of justice and righteousness.our mission is to creatively witness to the Lordship of Jesus in all of life by penetrating cultures with the values of the Kingdom and engaging the powers towards social transformation.
these we believe, these we work for |
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WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS LORD OF ALL LIFE
The gospel is for the whole person. Witness to it has both verbal and visible dimensions as expressed in prophetic proclamation of the Word as well as in the Spirit’s work of transformation in the life of individuals and of nations. We believe that Christ is King, not just over the church, but over nations and peoples. His kingdom makes no distinction between the secular and the sacred; he rules over all life.
For this reason we commit ourselves as people of the Kingdom to advancing the rule of God in our national life. We seek to bring governance of our society closer to the original purposes of God. We work towards making every thought captive to obey Christ, articulating biblical perspectives on social issues and subjecting scholarship, ideologies, media, the arts and all other expressions of our intellectual and imaginative life to the scrutiny of the Word.
Through these we hope to see a nation walking after God’s ways, its culture and life systems increasingly transformed by the values of the kingdom and the Creator’s revealed will for human social life.
WE BELIEVE THAT WITNESS MUST BE SENSITIVE TO CULTURAL CONTEXT
God in Jesus rooted himself in a particular culture and people. Following the pattern of the incarnation, we seek to speak sensitively, according to a people’s ways of thinking and feeling, and in a way that truly brings good news to the places where people fear and hurt.
With this conviction, we work towards seeing the church increasingly rooted in Filipino and other Asian cultures. We wish to see our theology and witness shaped by both the Word as text and culture as context. We long to see the churches speaking relevantly to the needs of our own people, and in doing so inspire other Asian churches into what it means to root the power and uniqueness of Jesus and the Word in a plurality of great spiritual traditions.
Towards this end, we encourage fresh theological reflection and development of models of witness and a liturgical tradition that affirm and enrich our culture.
We look forward to that day when we shall come into our own as a truly Filipino church, even as we serve the coming of age of Asian churches by our ability to get alongside their own struggle for identity and faithfulness. We work towards that vision of a multitude of peoples and nations singing their own songs to him who sits upon the throne.
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ON THE SIDE OF THE POOR
While all, rich and poor, are sinners and need forgiveness, not all are victims of injustice. Power is usually on the side of the oppressor, weakness is often the lot of the poor. While we are told not to be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit and follow justice and justice alone, the prophets also tell us that God’s love is particularly focused on the poor.
Conscious of this particularity, we seek to empower the poor, increasing their capacity for stewardship or the management and control of their resources and communities under God. We work and pray for a church that is increasingly socially aware, in her lifestyle and witness, conscious of the poor who are ever before us. We commit ourselves to becoming a voice to the voiceless, upholding the cause of the poor wherever their rights are trampled. We work towards directly relieving the conditions of the poor even as together we find ways of redressing imbalances in the social order to wrest access to a just and better life. While the poor shall always be with us, we work and hope for that day when no one shall hunger and thirst any more.
THESE WE BELIEVE, THESE WE WORK FOR. May the strength and love of God empower us to do the best that we believe, able to keep faith in the face of our struggle against evil powers because of our hope in the Kingdom that has come, is at work in our midst in the present, and will fully come to pass in the future.
The gospel is for the whole person. Witness to it has both verbal and visible dimensions as expressed in prophetic proclamation of the Word as well as in the Spirit’s work of transformation in the life of individuals and of nations. We believe that Christ is King, not just over the church, but over nations and peoples. His kingdom makes no distinction between the secular and the sacred; he rules over all life.
For this reason we commit ourselves as people of the Kingdom to advancing the rule of God in our national life. We seek to bring governance of our society closer to the original purposes of God. We work towards making every thought captive to obey Christ, articulating biblical perspectives on social issues and subjecting scholarship, ideologies, media, the arts and all other expressions of our intellectual and imaginative life to the scrutiny of the Word.
Through these we hope to see a nation walking after God’s ways, its culture and life systems increasingly transformed by the values of the kingdom and the Creator’s revealed will for human social life.
WE BELIEVE THAT WITNESS MUST BE SENSITIVE TO CULTURAL CONTEXT
God in Jesus rooted himself in a particular culture and people. Following the pattern of the incarnation, we seek to speak sensitively, according to a people’s ways of thinking and feeling, and in a way that truly brings good news to the places where people fear and hurt.
With this conviction, we work towards seeing the church increasingly rooted in Filipino and other Asian cultures. We wish to see our theology and witness shaped by both the Word as text and culture as context. We long to see the churches speaking relevantly to the needs of our own people, and in doing so inspire other Asian churches into what it means to root the power and uniqueness of Jesus and the Word in a plurality of great spiritual traditions.
Towards this end, we encourage fresh theological reflection and development of models of witness and a liturgical tradition that affirm and enrich our culture.
We look forward to that day when we shall come into our own as a truly Filipino church, even as we serve the coming of age of Asian churches by our ability to get alongside their own struggle for identity and faithfulness. We work towards that vision of a multitude of peoples and nations singing their own songs to him who sits upon the throne.
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ON THE SIDE OF THE POOR
While all, rich and poor, are sinners and need forgiveness, not all are victims of injustice. Power is usually on the side of the oppressor, weakness is often the lot of the poor. While we are told not to be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit and follow justice and justice alone, the prophets also tell us that God’s love is particularly focused on the poor.
Conscious of this particularity, we seek to empower the poor, increasing their capacity for stewardship or the management and control of their resources and communities under God. We work and pray for a church that is increasingly socially aware, in her lifestyle and witness, conscious of the poor who are ever before us. We commit ourselves to becoming a voice to the voiceless, upholding the cause of the poor wherever their rights are trampled. We work towards directly relieving the conditions of the poor even as together we find ways of redressing imbalances in the social order to wrest access to a just and better life. While the poor shall always be with us, we work and hope for that day when no one shall hunger and thirst any more.
THESE WE BELIEVE, THESE WE WORK FOR. May the strength and love of God empower us to do the best that we believe, able to keep faith in the face of our struggle against evil powers because of our hope in the Kingdom that has come, is at work in our midst in the present, and will fully come to pass in the future.
Brief History
Its beginnings....
ISACC was established in July 1978 in response to the historical crisis posed by the experience of authoritarianism in the Philippines. Through more than three and a half decades of political advocacy, research, popular education and development work, it has evolved into a major influence in moving evangelical church communities towards a deeper commitment to the poor, with a reputation for creative advocacy campaigns and effective service, solidarity and empowerment among the grassroots communities it has served.
ISACC’s long years of advocacy culminated in its mobilizing of church communities at the height of resistance to the Marcos regime. It organized Konfes (Konsensiya ng Febrero Siete), a coalition of some Namfrel volunteers and a network of Protestant churches which served as center of evangelical presence at the barricades during the February 1986 'People Power' uprising.
Some of its notable advocacies were its participation in the long campaign for the dismantling of US military bases in the country; the push for agrarian reform; and the national campaign for Jubilee 2000, an international movement for debt cancellation and relief for poor countries.
ISACC is also known for its promotion of cultural awareness through artistic productions and training in cross-cultural issues. Its encouragement of indigenous liturgical music has contributed towards enlarging this body of work, moving it towards becoming a richer, more popular and accessible tradition.
ISACC was established in July 1978 in response to the historical crisis posed by the experience of authoritarianism in the Philippines. Through more than three and a half decades of political advocacy, research, popular education and development work, it has evolved into a major influence in moving evangelical church communities towards a deeper commitment to the poor, with a reputation for creative advocacy campaigns and effective service, solidarity and empowerment among the grassroots communities it has served.
ISACC’s long years of advocacy culminated in its mobilizing of church communities at the height of resistance to the Marcos regime. It organized Konfes (Konsensiya ng Febrero Siete), a coalition of some Namfrel volunteers and a network of Protestant churches which served as center of evangelical presence at the barricades during the February 1986 'People Power' uprising.
Some of its notable advocacies were its participation in the long campaign for the dismantling of US military bases in the country; the push for agrarian reform; and the national campaign for Jubilee 2000, an international movement for debt cancellation and relief for poor countries.
ISACC is also known for its promotion of cultural awareness through artistic productions and training in cross-cultural issues. Its encouragement of indigenous liturgical music has contributed towards enlarging this body of work, moving it towards becoming a richer, more popular and accessible tradition.
Affiliations
ISACC maintains a fairly wide network of relationships with individuals and organizations of similar concerns. It has a base of members, both local and international. Its solidarity network ranges from the Micah network, an association of about 800 faith-based development organizations worldwide, NGOs like the Freedom from Debt Coalition, Faith-based Coalition Against Immoral Debt, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, to ecumenical church bodies here and abroad.
Internationally, it has had historical links, through various projects and individuals connected with them, with academic and mission organizations like the International Fellowship of Mission Theologians (INFEMIT), Life and Peace Institute in Sweden; the Centre for the Study of Nonwestern Christianity in Edinburgh University, Scotland; the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity; Breakthrough in Hongkong; the Latin American Theological Fraternity; Akrofi-Christaller in Ghana; the Filipino-Japanese Network (FJN) in Japan; Kairos Centre in Malaysia; Evangelicals for Social Action, Media Associates International and Fuller Theological Seminary in the US; International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Overseas Missionary Fellowship, Lion Publishing, World Association of Christian Communicators and All Nations Christian College in the UK; Regent College in Canada; the World Vision International in Monrovia, California and other such faith-based social development organizations.
Some of its main funding sources have been the Evangelisches Missionwerk (EMW), now EED, and the Church of Wuerttemberg in Germany; ICCO in the Netherlands; the Anglican Church of Canada; TEAR Fund Australia; the PEW Foundation, the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity and World Vision International in the US; TEAR Fund UK and TEAR Fund New Zealand; the Ministry of Education in the Philippine Government; and contributions from its faithful members and various other local and international friends.
Internationally, it has had historical links, through various projects and individuals connected with them, with academic and mission organizations like the International Fellowship of Mission Theologians (INFEMIT), Life and Peace Institute in Sweden; the Centre for the Study of Nonwestern Christianity in Edinburgh University, Scotland; the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity; Breakthrough in Hongkong; the Latin American Theological Fraternity; Akrofi-Christaller in Ghana; the Filipino-Japanese Network (FJN) in Japan; Kairos Centre in Malaysia; Evangelicals for Social Action, Media Associates International and Fuller Theological Seminary in the US; International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, Overseas Missionary Fellowship, Lion Publishing, World Association of Christian Communicators and All Nations Christian College in the UK; Regent College in Canada; the World Vision International in Monrovia, California and other such faith-based social development organizations.
Some of its main funding sources have been the Evangelisches Missionwerk (EMW), now EED, and the Church of Wuerttemberg in Germany; ICCO in the Netherlands; the Anglican Church of Canada; TEAR Fund Australia; the PEW Foundation, the Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity and World Vision International in the US; TEAR Fund UK and TEAR Fund New Zealand; the Ministry of Education in the Philippine Government; and contributions from its faithful members and various other local and international friends.
Professional Profile
ISACC as a research and training organization combines its academic interests with a strong practical engagement through its political advocacy and community transformation programs.
Its track record in advocacy and popular education for good governance includes creating an intellectual and theological climate that has moved evangelical churches and communities towards cultural awareness and social responsibility, and the organizing and leading of KONFES (Konsiensya ng Febrero Siete), a coalition of evangelicals present at the barricades during the 1986 People Power Revolution. It likewise organized evangelical presence during the 2001 EDSA Dos and was on stage presiding over the communal ritual and prayers when the then Defense Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the military wove their way through the crowd, climbed on stage and announced their defection. This turned the tide and paved the way for the collapse of the ruling President’s regime. For many years, this political advocacy had been mostly funded by ICCO in the Netherlands and EED in Germany.
Notable among its research projects is an evaluation of the effectiveness of homeroom activities among school children in the early ‘80s, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and funded by the World Bank under the government’s PRODED program. The result of this was the scrapping of the homeroom and the institutionalization of value education among school children. During the mid-90s ISACC embarked on a groundbreaking research into the coming of American Protestant Missions the first three decades of the last century, focusing on the intercultural communication miscues in the interface with Filipino religious consciousness. Part of the results had been published in the book, A Clash of Cultures, published by De La Salle University and Anvil Press. This was funded by the PEW Foundation in the US.
In the early years of the last decade, ISACC sent a team to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand to do research in identifying culturally-sensitive exit strategies of international NGOs, funded by Tearfund UK. An ICCO-funded participatory research into the economic empowerment of seven grassroots communities by seven NGOs yielded learnings written up in the book, Rise Up and Walk, Religion and Culture in Empowering the Poor, published by Regnum and the Oxford Center for Mission Studies in the UK.
As a training and capacity-building organization, it has trained more than 200 churches and faith-based development organizations in community development under its Hasik-Unlad program, which has for its theme, ‘The church as an agent of change.’ Its Transformational Development course has trained hundreds of practitioners and emerging leaders into understanding Integral Mission and development. This program has spawned and inspired the setting up of many faith-based organizations that now serve the poor. ISACC has likewise sent training teams to Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos under the auspices of Open Doors, an organization that serves church communities in restricted contexts.
Less well known is ISACC’s quiet work among grassroots communities. As a learning organization, ISACC from time to time does grassroots work on the ground, to innovate fresh approaches and add to its stock of experiential development knowledge.
Its community development work among migrant fisherfolk in Nasugbu, Batangas helped the people resolve their land tenure problems, build a cooperative, and address the lack of off-season income by putting up a women’s savings and loan association that continues to prosper. The capacity-building is such that the leadership of the Nagkakaisang Lakas ng Kababaihan ng Nasugbu (NLKN) is now able to access funds on their own from international agencies like Tearfund Australia, which funded the original project.
Notable also is its rehabilitation work among Tinggians in Abra, trapped in their hillside barangays in the area called Budabosa – Bukloc, Daguioman, Boliney and Salapaddan. These indigenous communities were cut off without food when crops were destroyed and roads were rendered impassable by landslides during the 1990 earthquake. The people cleared the roads themselves under a food-for-work program, farms were revitalized and five multi-purpose cooperatives were established. All but one are still thriving, long after ISACC has exited the area. One was recognized as the best cooperative in all of Abra some years ago.
More recently, ISACC did capacity-building for an urban poor church and a rehabilitation program for five street children gangs in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, the third largest urban poor settlement in the country. There were 50 or so street gangs within a two-kilometer radius of this teeming community. Starting with the fiercest – the Halik ni Hudas (Kiss of Judas) gang with about 45 members – the psycho-spiritual intervention was such that their evident transformation drew four more gangs. These transformed youth-at-risk served as enough critical mass to foster a culture of peace – the gang wars ceased, and crime and petty theft dropped. The grateful residents contributed towards the support and rehabilitation of these once-violent and delinquent youth. And even if ISACC is not into church-planting, a small church grew out of these nucleus of former street kids and still exists to this day. This work was funded and has been highlighted by Tearfund UK as an example of a truly transformational development effort.
ISACC is at present engaged in a comprehensive and wholistic rehabilitation work in one of the most devastated disaster-stricken communities in Tacloban in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. In partnership with Operation Blessing and Sharing KMBI, this housing and rehabilitation work is an experiment in what it means to do ‘Integral Mission,’ building not just houses but communities, and equipped with all the necessary social and economic services. This follows ISACC’s initial effort at helping disaster survivors to recover through its Psycho-Spiritual Trauma Care program, funded by ICCO in the Netherlands, World Renew and Tearfund New Zealand.
Its track record in advocacy and popular education for good governance includes creating an intellectual and theological climate that has moved evangelical churches and communities towards cultural awareness and social responsibility, and the organizing and leading of KONFES (Konsiensya ng Febrero Siete), a coalition of evangelicals present at the barricades during the 1986 People Power Revolution. It likewise organized evangelical presence during the 2001 EDSA Dos and was on stage presiding over the communal ritual and prayers when the then Defense Secretary and the Chief of Staff of the military wove their way through the crowd, climbed on stage and announced their defection. This turned the tide and paved the way for the collapse of the ruling President’s regime. For many years, this political advocacy had been mostly funded by ICCO in the Netherlands and EED in Germany.
Notable among its research projects is an evaluation of the effectiveness of homeroom activities among school children in the early ‘80s, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and funded by the World Bank under the government’s PRODED program. The result of this was the scrapping of the homeroom and the institutionalization of value education among school children. During the mid-90s ISACC embarked on a groundbreaking research into the coming of American Protestant Missions the first three decades of the last century, focusing on the intercultural communication miscues in the interface with Filipino religious consciousness. Part of the results had been published in the book, A Clash of Cultures, published by De La Salle University and Anvil Press. This was funded by the PEW Foundation in the US.
In the early years of the last decade, ISACC sent a team to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand to do research in identifying culturally-sensitive exit strategies of international NGOs, funded by Tearfund UK. An ICCO-funded participatory research into the economic empowerment of seven grassroots communities by seven NGOs yielded learnings written up in the book, Rise Up and Walk, Religion and Culture in Empowering the Poor, published by Regnum and the Oxford Center for Mission Studies in the UK.
As a training and capacity-building organization, it has trained more than 200 churches and faith-based development organizations in community development under its Hasik-Unlad program, which has for its theme, ‘The church as an agent of change.’ Its Transformational Development course has trained hundreds of practitioners and emerging leaders into understanding Integral Mission and development. This program has spawned and inspired the setting up of many faith-based organizations that now serve the poor. ISACC has likewise sent training teams to Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos under the auspices of Open Doors, an organization that serves church communities in restricted contexts.
Less well known is ISACC’s quiet work among grassroots communities. As a learning organization, ISACC from time to time does grassroots work on the ground, to innovate fresh approaches and add to its stock of experiential development knowledge.
Its community development work among migrant fisherfolk in Nasugbu, Batangas helped the people resolve their land tenure problems, build a cooperative, and address the lack of off-season income by putting up a women’s savings and loan association that continues to prosper. The capacity-building is such that the leadership of the Nagkakaisang Lakas ng Kababaihan ng Nasugbu (NLKN) is now able to access funds on their own from international agencies like Tearfund Australia, which funded the original project.
Notable also is its rehabilitation work among Tinggians in Abra, trapped in their hillside barangays in the area called Budabosa – Bukloc, Daguioman, Boliney and Salapaddan. These indigenous communities were cut off without food when crops were destroyed and roads were rendered impassable by landslides during the 1990 earthquake. The people cleared the roads themselves under a food-for-work program, farms were revitalized and five multi-purpose cooperatives were established. All but one are still thriving, long after ISACC has exited the area. One was recognized as the best cooperative in all of Abra some years ago.
More recently, ISACC did capacity-building for an urban poor church and a rehabilitation program for five street children gangs in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, the third largest urban poor settlement in the country. There were 50 or so street gangs within a two-kilometer radius of this teeming community. Starting with the fiercest – the Halik ni Hudas (Kiss of Judas) gang with about 45 members – the psycho-spiritual intervention was such that their evident transformation drew four more gangs. These transformed youth-at-risk served as enough critical mass to foster a culture of peace – the gang wars ceased, and crime and petty theft dropped. The grateful residents contributed towards the support and rehabilitation of these once-violent and delinquent youth. And even if ISACC is not into church-planting, a small church grew out of these nucleus of former street kids and still exists to this day. This work was funded and has been highlighted by Tearfund UK as an example of a truly transformational development effort.
ISACC is at present engaged in a comprehensive and wholistic rehabilitation work in one of the most devastated disaster-stricken communities in Tacloban in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. In partnership with Operation Blessing and Sharing KMBI, this housing and rehabilitation work is an experiment in what it means to do ‘Integral Mission,’ building not just houses but communities, and equipped with all the necessary social and economic services. This follows ISACC’s initial effort at helping disaster survivors to recover through its Psycho-Spiritual Trauma Care program, funded by ICCO in the Netherlands, World Renew and Tearfund New Zealand.
What people say about us...
On ISACC as an organization...
"I have been proud and grateful to be associated with you… And I continue to be supportive of your struggle to relate Christ and culture in an Asian context.”
The late Sir John RW Stott, founder of Langham Trust and former President, London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, cited in Time Magazine as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Persons’ in the world, and former Chaplain to the Queen and Rector Emeritus, All Souls Church, UK.
“…ISACC has always inspired me in your commitment to the needy, building Christian values in culture, and creative expressions of faith. Your thoughts are global, ethnic, and gender issues are substantive and prophetic. We look forward to your major contribution to the Christian and social communities in the next century.”
Dr. Wing Tai Leung, executive director, Breakthrough, Ltd., Hongkong“
“We have begotten no sons…Our sons speak another language… Who among the young writers now can read my poems ? My poems may as well be written in Babylonian!… The fathers of the young poets of today are from across the sea. They are not our sons; they are foreigners to us, and we do not even exist for them." --- Nick Joaquin
… If not for communities like ISACC, Joaquin’s lament might have come true. But the Holy Spirit has encouraged you. Christ has empowered you, entering your pain and generating the power for new beginnings. God the Creator has blessed you with Filipino culture, a treasure chest of symbols for exuberant expression of his image. May you walk in his grace and holiness, in the Word and in prayer, sons and daughters of the land ( and the water ). May your words, visuals, and acts give reason for hope.”
Dr. Miriam Adeney, missiological anthropologist at Regent College and Seattle Pacific University, USA.
“…With some exceptions, much of our Christianity today is still confined within the four walls of the church. That is why it is refreshing to note that ISACC is committed ‘to stimulate and support the Filipino church’ in its effort to be truly ‘salt’ and ‘leaven’ where it would pursue Kingdom values, engage the unjust structures and seek their transformation. My prayer for you is to continue to be a faithful watchman speaking with boldness and courage so that change may become a reality, especially for our poor.”
Sen. Jovito R. Salonga, Former Senate President
“…We are proud of the way that you (ISACC) have combined serious research on the history and cultural impact of Christianity in the Philippines with a continuing burden to reach people with the Gospel. This is an illustration to us of the fact that a deep commitment to Christ not only liberates individuals but also allows cultures to reach their full potential.”
Dr. William Dyrness, Professor Emeritus,Fuller Theological Seminary; Dr. Grace Dyrness, Urban Initiatives, USC, USA
“… to see through our own masks, and in doing so, discover what we really are, as country, as nation, as people. ISACC has been one of those asking the right questions, peering behind the masks, slicing through the pretenses. Its views have not been merely refreshing, they have been disturbing and so they should.”
Ma Cristina V. Rodriguez, founder and executive director, Crossroads Publications, Inc.
“…While two decades may not be as long as a century, it is long enough for so many events to shape a people’s history as well as a nation’s destiny. In a world long corrupted by sin, agents of godly influence and holiness turn the tide of total degeneration. This, we believe, has been the ministry of ISACC for the last two decades. In so many instances, you have kept true to your call to be ‘voice in the ( moral ) wilderness’ in proclaiming God’s message for the people of our time.”
Dr. Medarlo B. Rivera, former General Secretary, Philippine Bible Society
“…Through the years, ISACC has become a well known name for confronting significant issues in the community, political and religious, in order to keep these before the public eye. This has proven to be a key ministry that so often is bypassed, yet essential if we are to see Biblical principles discussed and instilled into the hearts and minds of our citizens. ISACC has also been in the forefront ministering among those who needed help in community development. Projects have been initiated and carried out with care and sensitivity.”
Myron Harrison, Former Field Director, OMF International, Philippines
“…We, in the Summer Institute of Linguistics, and particularly the Asia Field Training Course have greatly benefited from your CCOS ( Cross-Cultural Orientation Seminar ) program. Our new workers throughout Asia have gone out to the field with greater confidence, knowledge and skills because of what they have learned from you.”
David Ohlson, Director, Asia Field Training Course, Summer Institute of Linguistics
“…Tunay na sa loob ng dalawang dekadang ito ay naging saksi kami sa katapatang inyong ipinakita sa paglilingkod sa Panginoon sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga mapaghamon at kristiyanong pagtugon sa tawag ng panahon. Napaunlad at napayaman ninyong higit ang aming pagsasahimpapawid sa pamamagitan ng inyong paglalapat ng mga biblikal na kasagutan sa mga isyung kinakaharap ng ating lipunan sa kasalukuyan. Ang mga ito ay nakatulong nang higit upang mabigyan ng isang balanse at tamang pananaw ang ating mga kababayan hinggil sa mga usaping may kinalaman sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na buhay.”
Carlos Peña, Former President, Far East Broadcasting Company
On ISACC's research and publications....
“I am extremely impressed with the quality and significance of this [Early American Protestant Missions] research. The presentations and caliber of panel members was excellent. It seems important that this information be made available to a wide spectrum of the academic community. The case study / interview approach incorporated in the research appears especially productive. It seems important to document these interviews while the resource people ( in the 80s and 90s ) are still alive and available to relate their firsthand impressions. It was encouraging when several people in the room identified ancestors who had become due to personal contact with some of the main ones highlighted in the case studies. I am happy to learn this scholarly study is preserving important historical information and especially [these] firsthand accounts before they are lost.
…I wish to express appreciation to the principal researchers on the team. Being an academic organization ourselves, we can identify quality research when we see it.”
Rex Lieffers, CVE, NCC, Associate Director for Human resources, SIL
“I enjoyed it – I was touched, rather – by your article on the generation of the sixties. There are some details in the piece which I did not like though, but these are minor. This, you cannot hide or disguise. I like your Tsunami Residues. I’m glad you’re writing good poetry.”
F. Sionil Jose, Novelist and National Artist in Literature, and Publisher, Solidaridad Publishing House
“I always look forward to reading Patmos. Your issue on Spirituality and Nation-building was promising. I hope you continue to be vigilant. I respect Patmos and the people behind it and support wholeheartedly your vision and goals. Let us be mindful of what our reference points are and be more reflective and affirming of our own resources so that we don’t always have to quote a Western author.
Dr. Leny Strobel, Sonoma State College, California, USA
“Going over your carefully written articles, I found new insights into the Filipino cultural, intellectual and moral fiber. The article of Ms Maggay, in particular, was truly enlightening because it offers a fresh perspective on how one should look at the Filipino psyche. Ms Maggay’s article departs from conventional Western concepts that have for so long judged the Filipino character by alien standards. I hope you will have more articles dealing with the Filipino indigenous culture.”
Alberto J. Lopez Congressman, 2nd District, Guimaras, Iloilo
“Would you give us permission to publish in Tear Target an abbreviated version of Herman Moldez’ Taking Side with the Poor?
Patmos is a very useful resource for us – not just regarding the Philippines but also as a means of reflecting upon our own work. I thought this issue of Patmos was outstanding.”
Steve Bradbury, Tear Australia
“Your article on the Gulf War was on target. I’m going to reproduce it for the people here. We are in a very awkward position – to raise some questions about the war is to be immediately written off as anti-American.
Your piece on indigenous religion was outstanding! Every missionary ought to be required to read it. You cut through the stereotype and got down to the authentically Gospel issues.”
Rev. Darrel Johnson, Sacramento, California
“As one who has done a fair amount of editorial work, I could fairly well feel the tensions and strains of this issue at a hundred different points. Writing as you did, for the audience you have, is no small feat. Most attempts to move an evangelical audience here in the States fail ( in my opinion because there is so much energy expended in caution that any sense of forward movement strikes the reader as purely gratuitous ). This Patmos was so full of evangelical depth and communal movement that its integrity seemed unquestionable. Though I don’t have an in-depth familiarity with your audience, it appears to me that the Lord has given you that miracle of timing and creativity: the right people at the right place, and at the right time.”
Bruce Nichols, Washington
“Patty brought home your book Filipino Religious Consciousness and I enjoyed it very much. I praise God for your service to the kingdom and to the servants of the King ministering in Asia. Your work definitely makes our work more effective.”
Joel L. Hogan, International Director, Christian Reformed World Missions
“Reread your article The Gospel in our Context: An Agenda. I found it addressing even the context we’re in here in Indonesia. Signs and wonders, power encounters, as evident in the work of the Spirit came as much needed to my system that was once familiar only with university type spiritual warfare.”
Sal Jiao, Navigator, Madiun, Indonesia
“On Philippine Realities: Vol. 3 NO. 1 of Patmos is Excellent! You publish a fantastic magazine and I still can’t figure out how you do it. All the best to you and your associates. Your sensitivity and courage are exemplary. Our society could use more of it”.
The late Salvador P. Lopez, former President, University of the Philippines
"I have been proud and grateful to be associated with you… And I continue to be supportive of your struggle to relate Christ and culture in an Asian context.”
The late Sir John RW Stott, founder of Langham Trust and former President, London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, cited in Time Magazine as one of the ‘100 Most Influential Persons’ in the world, and former Chaplain to the Queen and Rector Emeritus, All Souls Church, UK.
“…ISACC has always inspired me in your commitment to the needy, building Christian values in culture, and creative expressions of faith. Your thoughts are global, ethnic, and gender issues are substantive and prophetic. We look forward to your major contribution to the Christian and social communities in the next century.”
Dr. Wing Tai Leung, executive director, Breakthrough, Ltd., Hongkong“
“We have begotten no sons…Our sons speak another language… Who among the young writers now can read my poems ? My poems may as well be written in Babylonian!… The fathers of the young poets of today are from across the sea. They are not our sons; they are foreigners to us, and we do not even exist for them." --- Nick Joaquin
… If not for communities like ISACC, Joaquin’s lament might have come true. But the Holy Spirit has encouraged you. Christ has empowered you, entering your pain and generating the power for new beginnings. God the Creator has blessed you with Filipino culture, a treasure chest of symbols for exuberant expression of his image. May you walk in his grace and holiness, in the Word and in prayer, sons and daughters of the land ( and the water ). May your words, visuals, and acts give reason for hope.”
Dr. Miriam Adeney, missiological anthropologist at Regent College and Seattle Pacific University, USA.
“…With some exceptions, much of our Christianity today is still confined within the four walls of the church. That is why it is refreshing to note that ISACC is committed ‘to stimulate and support the Filipino church’ in its effort to be truly ‘salt’ and ‘leaven’ where it would pursue Kingdom values, engage the unjust structures and seek their transformation. My prayer for you is to continue to be a faithful watchman speaking with boldness and courage so that change may become a reality, especially for our poor.”
Sen. Jovito R. Salonga, Former Senate President
“…We are proud of the way that you (ISACC) have combined serious research on the history and cultural impact of Christianity in the Philippines with a continuing burden to reach people with the Gospel. This is an illustration to us of the fact that a deep commitment to Christ not only liberates individuals but also allows cultures to reach their full potential.”
Dr. William Dyrness, Professor Emeritus,Fuller Theological Seminary; Dr. Grace Dyrness, Urban Initiatives, USC, USA
“… to see through our own masks, and in doing so, discover what we really are, as country, as nation, as people. ISACC has been one of those asking the right questions, peering behind the masks, slicing through the pretenses. Its views have not been merely refreshing, they have been disturbing and so they should.”
Ma Cristina V. Rodriguez, founder and executive director, Crossroads Publications, Inc.
“…While two decades may not be as long as a century, it is long enough for so many events to shape a people’s history as well as a nation’s destiny. In a world long corrupted by sin, agents of godly influence and holiness turn the tide of total degeneration. This, we believe, has been the ministry of ISACC for the last two decades. In so many instances, you have kept true to your call to be ‘voice in the ( moral ) wilderness’ in proclaiming God’s message for the people of our time.”
Dr. Medarlo B. Rivera, former General Secretary, Philippine Bible Society
“…Through the years, ISACC has become a well known name for confronting significant issues in the community, political and religious, in order to keep these before the public eye. This has proven to be a key ministry that so often is bypassed, yet essential if we are to see Biblical principles discussed and instilled into the hearts and minds of our citizens. ISACC has also been in the forefront ministering among those who needed help in community development. Projects have been initiated and carried out with care and sensitivity.”
Myron Harrison, Former Field Director, OMF International, Philippines
“…We, in the Summer Institute of Linguistics, and particularly the Asia Field Training Course have greatly benefited from your CCOS ( Cross-Cultural Orientation Seminar ) program. Our new workers throughout Asia have gone out to the field with greater confidence, knowledge and skills because of what they have learned from you.”
David Ohlson, Director, Asia Field Training Course, Summer Institute of Linguistics
“…Tunay na sa loob ng dalawang dekadang ito ay naging saksi kami sa katapatang inyong ipinakita sa paglilingkod sa Panginoon sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga mapaghamon at kristiyanong pagtugon sa tawag ng panahon. Napaunlad at napayaman ninyong higit ang aming pagsasahimpapawid sa pamamagitan ng inyong paglalapat ng mga biblikal na kasagutan sa mga isyung kinakaharap ng ating lipunan sa kasalukuyan. Ang mga ito ay nakatulong nang higit upang mabigyan ng isang balanse at tamang pananaw ang ating mga kababayan hinggil sa mga usaping may kinalaman sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na buhay.”
Carlos Peña, Former President, Far East Broadcasting Company
On ISACC's research and publications....
“I am extremely impressed with the quality and significance of this [Early American Protestant Missions] research. The presentations and caliber of panel members was excellent. It seems important that this information be made available to a wide spectrum of the academic community. The case study / interview approach incorporated in the research appears especially productive. It seems important to document these interviews while the resource people ( in the 80s and 90s ) are still alive and available to relate their firsthand impressions. It was encouraging when several people in the room identified ancestors who had become due to personal contact with some of the main ones highlighted in the case studies. I am happy to learn this scholarly study is preserving important historical information and especially [these] firsthand accounts before they are lost.
…I wish to express appreciation to the principal researchers on the team. Being an academic organization ourselves, we can identify quality research when we see it.”
Rex Lieffers, CVE, NCC, Associate Director for Human resources, SIL
“I enjoyed it – I was touched, rather – by your article on the generation of the sixties. There are some details in the piece which I did not like though, but these are minor. This, you cannot hide or disguise. I like your Tsunami Residues. I’m glad you’re writing good poetry.”
F. Sionil Jose, Novelist and National Artist in Literature, and Publisher, Solidaridad Publishing House
“I always look forward to reading Patmos. Your issue on Spirituality and Nation-building was promising. I hope you continue to be vigilant. I respect Patmos and the people behind it and support wholeheartedly your vision and goals. Let us be mindful of what our reference points are and be more reflective and affirming of our own resources so that we don’t always have to quote a Western author.
Dr. Leny Strobel, Sonoma State College, California, USA
“Going over your carefully written articles, I found new insights into the Filipino cultural, intellectual and moral fiber. The article of Ms Maggay, in particular, was truly enlightening because it offers a fresh perspective on how one should look at the Filipino psyche. Ms Maggay’s article departs from conventional Western concepts that have for so long judged the Filipino character by alien standards. I hope you will have more articles dealing with the Filipino indigenous culture.”
Alberto J. Lopez Congressman, 2nd District, Guimaras, Iloilo
“Would you give us permission to publish in Tear Target an abbreviated version of Herman Moldez’ Taking Side with the Poor?
Patmos is a very useful resource for us – not just regarding the Philippines but also as a means of reflecting upon our own work. I thought this issue of Patmos was outstanding.”
Steve Bradbury, Tear Australia
“Your article on the Gulf War was on target. I’m going to reproduce it for the people here. We are in a very awkward position – to raise some questions about the war is to be immediately written off as anti-American.
Your piece on indigenous religion was outstanding! Every missionary ought to be required to read it. You cut through the stereotype and got down to the authentically Gospel issues.”
Rev. Darrel Johnson, Sacramento, California
“As one who has done a fair amount of editorial work, I could fairly well feel the tensions and strains of this issue at a hundred different points. Writing as you did, for the audience you have, is no small feat. Most attempts to move an evangelical audience here in the States fail ( in my opinion because there is so much energy expended in caution that any sense of forward movement strikes the reader as purely gratuitous ). This Patmos was so full of evangelical depth and communal movement that its integrity seemed unquestionable. Though I don’t have an in-depth familiarity with your audience, it appears to me that the Lord has given you that miracle of timing and creativity: the right people at the right place, and at the right time.”
Bruce Nichols, Washington
“Patty brought home your book Filipino Religious Consciousness and I enjoyed it very much. I praise God for your service to the kingdom and to the servants of the King ministering in Asia. Your work definitely makes our work more effective.”
Joel L. Hogan, International Director, Christian Reformed World Missions
“Reread your article The Gospel in our Context: An Agenda. I found it addressing even the context we’re in here in Indonesia. Signs and wonders, power encounters, as evident in the work of the Spirit came as much needed to my system that was once familiar only with university type spiritual warfare.”
Sal Jiao, Navigator, Madiun, Indonesia
“On Philippine Realities: Vol. 3 NO. 1 of Patmos is Excellent! You publish a fantastic magazine and I still can’t figure out how you do it. All the best to you and your associates. Your sensitivity and courage are exemplary. Our society could use more of it”.
The late Salvador P. Lopez, former President, University of the Philippines